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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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Form 10-K

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(Mark one)

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Commission file number 1-11588

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SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(313) 886-7070

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ◻     No ☑

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ◻     No ☑

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑     No ◻

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes ☑     No ◻

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ◻

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Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐     No ☑

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Aggregate market value of the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock (assuming conversion thereof into Class A Common Stock) held by nonaffiliates of the registrant, computed on the basis of the closing price of the Class A Common Stock on June 30, 2021 on the NASDAQ: $108,082,992.

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The number of shares of the registrant’s Class A Common Stock, $.01 par value, and Class B Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding as of March 4, 2022 was 5,087,693 and 965,149, respectively.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year) are incorporated by reference in Part III hereof.

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Saga Communications, Inc.

2021 Form 10-K Annual Report

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Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this Form 10-K that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expects”, “guidance,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are made as of the date of this report or as otherwise indicated, based on current expectations. We undertake no obligation to update this information. A number of important factors could cause our actual results for 2022 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on our behalf. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance as they involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and that may cause our actual results and experiences to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may affect our performance, which are described in Item 1A of this report, include our financial leverage and debt service requirements, dependence on key personnel, dependence on key stations, global, U.S. and local economic conditions, our ability to successfully integrate acquired stations, regulatory requirements, new technologies, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, information technology and cybersecurity failures and data security breaches and the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot be sure that we will be able to anticipate or respond timely to changes in any of these factors, which could adversely affect the operating results in one or more fiscal quarters. Results of operations in any past period should not be considered, in and of itself, indicative of the results to be expected for future periods. Fluctuations in operating results may also result in fluctuations in the price of our stock.

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PART I

Item 1.     Business

We are a broadcast company primarily engaged in acquiring, developing and operating broadcast properties. As of February 28, 2022, we owned seventy-nine FM, thirty-four AM radio stations and seventy-nine metro signals serving twenty-seven markets.

Strategy

Our strategy is to operate top billing radio stations in mid-sized markets, which we define as markets ranked from 20 to 200 out of the markets summarized by Investing in Radio Market Report.

Programming and marketing are key components in our strategy to achieve top ratings in our radio operations. In many of our markets, the three or four most highly rated radio stations receive a disproportionately high share of the market’s advertising revenues. As a result, a station’s revenue is dependent upon its ability to maximize its number of listeners/viewers within an advertiser’s given demographic parameters. In certain cases we use attributes other than specific market listener data for sales activities. In those markets where sufficient alternative data is available, we do not subscribe to an independent listener rating service.

The radio stations that we own and/or operate employ a variety of programming formats, including Classic Hits, Adult Hits, Top 40, Country, Country Legends, Mainstream/Hot/Soft Adult Contemporary, Pure Oldies, Classic Rock, and News/Talk. We regularly perform extensive market research, including music evaluations, focus groups and strategic vulnerability studies. Our stations also employ audience promotions to further develop and secure a loyal following.

We concentrate on the development of strong decentralized local management, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the stations we own and/or operate. We compensate local management based on the station’s financial performance, as well as other performance factors that are deemed to affect the long-term ability of the stations to achieve financial performance objectives. Corporate management is responsible for long-range planning, establishing policies and procedures, resource allocation and monitoring the activities of the stations.

Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the “Telecommunications Act”), we are permitted to own up to eight radio stations in a single market. See “Federal Regulation of Radio Broadcasting”. We seek to acquire reasonably priced broadcast properties with significant growth potential that are located in markets with well-established and relatively stable economies. We often focus on local economies supported by a strong presence of state or federal government or one or more major universities. Future acquisitions will be subject to the availability of financing, the terms of our credit facility, and compliance with the Communications Act of 1934 (the “Communications Act”) and Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) rules.

Advertising Sales

Our primary source of revenue is from the sale of advertising for broadcast on our stations. Depending on the format of a particular radio station, there are a predetermined number of advertisements broadcast each hour. We determine the number of advertisements broadcast hourly that can maximize a station’s available revenue dollars without jeopardizing listening/viewing levels. While there may be shifts from time to time in the number of advertisements broadcast during a particular time of the day, the total number of advertisements broadcast on a particular station generally does not vary significantly from year to year. Any change in our revenue, with the exception of those instances where stations are acquired or sold, is generally the result of pricing adjustments, which are made to ensure that the station efficiently utilizes available inventory.

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Advertising rates charged by radio stations are based primarily on a station’s ability to attract audiences in the demographic groups targeted by advertisers, the number of stations in the market competing for the same demographic group, the supply of and demand for radio advertising time, and other qualitative factors including rates charged by competing radio stations within a given market. Radio rates are generally highest during morning and afternoon drive-time hours. Most advertising contracts are short-term, generally running for only a few weeks. This allows broadcasters the ability to modify advertising rates as dictated by changes in station ownership within a market, changes in listener/viewer ratings and changes in the business climate within a particular market.

Approximately $102,367,000 or 89% of our gross revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 (approximately $86,562,000 or 84% in fiscal 2020 and approximately $116,474,000 or 88% in fiscal 2019) was generated from the sale of local advertising. Additional revenue is generated from the sale of national advertising, network compensation payments, barter and other miscellaneous transactions. In all of our markets, we attempt to maintain a local sales force that is generally larger than our competitors. The principal goal in our sales efforts is to develop long-standing customer relationships through frequent direct contacts, which we believe represents a competitive advantage. We also typically provide incentives to our sales staff to seek out new opportunities resulting in the establishment of new client relationships, as well as new sources of revenue, not directly associated with the sale of broadcast time.

Each of our stations also engages independent national sales representatives to assist us in obtaining national advertising revenues. These representatives obtain advertising through national advertising agencies and receive a commission from us based on our net revenue from the advertising obtained. Total gross revenue resulting from national advertising in fiscal 2021 was approximately $13,138,000 or 11% of our gross revenue (approximately $16,361,000 or 16% in fiscal 2020 and approximately $15,914,000 or 12% in fiscal 2019). Gross national political revenue is included in these numbers.

Competition

Radio broadcasting is a highly competitive business. Our stations compete for listeners and advertising revenues directly with other radio stations, as well as other media, within their markets. Our radio stations compete for listeners primarily on the basis of program content and by employing on-air talent which appeals to a particular demographic group. By building a strong listener base comprised of a specific demographic group in each of our markets, we are able to attract advertisers seeking to reach these listeners.

Other media, including broadcast television and/or radio (as applicable), cable television, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, the Internet, coupons and billboard advertising, also compete with us for advertising revenues.

The radio broadcasting industry is also subject to competition from new media technologies, such as the delivery of audio programming by cable and satellite television systems, satellite radio systems, direct reception from satellites, and streaming of audio on the Internet.

Seasonality

Our revenue varies throughout the year. Advertising expenditures, our primary source of revenue, is generally lowest in the first quarter. Additionally, given the disruptions in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our quarterly results in 2021 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be achieved in the future.

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Environmental Compliance

As the owner, lessee or operator of various real properties and facilities, we are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. Historically, compliance with these laws and regulations has not had a material adverse effect on our business. There can be no assurance, however, that compliance with existing or new environmental laws and regulations will not require us to make significant expenditures of funds.

Human Capital Resources

Our key human capital management objectives are to attract, develop and retain top industry talent that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we broadcast. To support this goal, our human resources programs are designed to develop talent to prepare for key roles and leadership positions for the future; reward employees through competitive industry pay, benefits and other programs, instill our culture with a focus on ethical behavior and enhance our employees’ performance through investment in current technology, tools and training to enable our employees to operate at a high level.

As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately 570 full-time employees and 227 part-time employees, none of whom are represented by unions. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.

We employ several high-profile personalities with large loyal audiences in their respective markets. We have entered into employment and non-competition agreements with our President and with most of our on-air personalities, as well as non-competition agreements with our commissioned sales representatives.

We are committed to hiring, developing and supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our management teams are expected to exhibit and promote honest, ethical and respectful conduct in the workplace. All of our employees must adhere to a code of conduct that sets standards for appropriate ethical behavior.

Available Information

You can find more information about us at our Internet website www.sagacom.com. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports are available free of charge on our Internet website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Federal Regulation of Radio Broadcasting

Introduction.   The ownership, operation and sale of radio stations, including those licensed to us, are subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC, which acts under authority granted by the Communications Act. Among other things, the FCC assigns frequency bands for broadcasting; determines the particular frequencies, locations and operating power of stations; issues, renews, revokes and modifies station licenses; determines whether to approve changes in ownership or control of station licenses; regulates equipment used by stations; adopts and implements regulations and policies that directly or indirectly affect the ownership, operation and employment practices of stations; and has the power to impose penalties for violations of its rules or the Communications Act. For additional information on the impact of FCC regulations and the introduction of new technologies on our operations, see “Forward Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” contained elsewhere in this report.

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The following is a brief summary of certain provisions of the Communications Act and of specific FCC regulations and policies. Reference should be made to the Communications Act, FCC rules (Title 47 Code of Federal Regulation, Chapter I, Subchapters A and C) and the public notices and rulings of the FCC for further information concerning the nature and extent of federal regulation of broadcast stations.

License Renewal.   Radio broadcasting licenses are granted for maximum terms of eight years, and are subject to renewal upon application to the FCC. Under its “two-step” renewal process, the FCC must grant a renewal application if it finds that during the preceding term the licensee has served the public interest, convenience and necessity, and there have been no serious violations of the Communications Act or the FCC’s rules which, taken together, would constitute a pattern of abuse. If a renewal applicant fails to meet these standards, the FCC may either deny its application or grant the application on such terms and conditions as are appropriate, including renewal for less than the full 8-year term. In making the determination of whether to renew the license, the FCC may not consider whether the public interest would be served by the grant of a license to a person other than the renewal applicant. If the FCC, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, finds that the licensee has failed to meet the requirements for renewal and no mitigating factors justify the imposition of lesser sanctions, the FCC may issue an order denying the renewal application, and only thereafter may the FCC accept applications for a construction permit specifying the broadcasting facilities of the former licensee. Petitions may be filed to deny the renewal applications of our stations, but any such petitions must raise issues that would cause the FCC to deny a renewal application under the standards adopted in the “two-step” renewal process. Failure to renew a license could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Radio station licenses generally expire along with the licenses of all other radio stations in a given state. The FCC accepts renewal applications for various groups of radio stations every two months, the current cycle having begun in June 2019 and will conclude for the Company’s stations in June 2022. (when New York station licenses expire). During the cycle, we have timely filed renewal applications, as required for the Company’s stations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota, which applications have been granted. Applications for renewal of license of our radio stations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York are pending. In January 2018 and again in February 2022, the FCC designated the renewal applications of radio stations (not the Company’s) for hearing based on the stations’ records of extended periods of silence during and following their respective license renewal terms. Under the Communications Act, if a broadcast station fails to transmit signals for any consecutive 12-month period, the FCC license expires at the end of that period, unless the FCC exercises its discretion to extend or reinstate the license “to promote equity and fairness.” The FCC, to date, has rarely exercised such discretion. Further, the FCC has revoked the licenses of broadcast stations that failed to pay regulatory fees. The Company is current in the payment of regulatory fees to the FCC.

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The following table sets forth information about our radio stations, including the markets they serve, their format, and the FCC class of each of the broadcast stations that we own or operate with an attributable interest and the date on which each such station’s FCC license expires:

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Ownership Matters.   The Communications Act prohibits the assignment of a broadcast license or the transfer of control of a broadcast licensee without the prior approval of the FCC. In determining whether to grant or renew a broadcast license, the FCC considers a number of factors pertaining to the licensee, including compliance with the Communications Act’s limitations on alien ownership; compliance with various rules limiting common ownership of broadcast, cable and newspaper properties; and the “character” and other qualifications of the licensee and those persons holding “attributable or cognizable” interests therein.

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Under the Communications Act (Section 310(b)), broadcast licenses may not be granted to any corporation having more than one-fifth of its issued and outstanding capital stock owned or voted by aliens (including non-U.S. corporations), foreign governments or their representatives (collectively, “Aliens”). The Communications Act also prohibits a corporation, without FCC waiver, from holding a broadcast license if that corporation is controlled, directly or indirectly, by another corporation in which more than 25% of the issued and outstanding capital stock is owned or voted by Aliens. The FCC has issued interpretations of existing law under which these restrictions in modified form apply to other forms of business organizations, including partnerships. We serve as a holding company for our various radio station subsidiaries (and as such we cannot have more than 25% of our stock owned or voted by Aliens).

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The FCC has adopted rules to extend to broadcast licensees the same rules and procedures that common carrier wireless licensees use to seek approval for foreign ownership, with broadcast-specific modifications.

The rules and procedures allow a broadcast licensee to request in a petition for declaratory ruling under Title 47 U.S.C. Section 310(b)(4):

The rules require the Company to seek specific approval only of foreign individuals or entities with a greater than 5 percent ownership interest (or, in certain situations, an interest greater than 10 percent).

The rules allow broadcast licensees that have foreign ownership rulings to apply those rulings to all radio and television broadcast licenses then held or subsequently proposed to be acquired by the same licensee and its covered subsidiaries and affiliates, regardless of the broadcast service (e.g., AM, FM, or TV) or the geographic area in which the stations are located.

The methodology provides a framework for a publicly traded licensee or controlling U.S. parent to ascertain its foreign ownership using information that is “known or reasonably should be known” to the company in the ordinary course of business.

For publicly traded licensees and U.S. parent companies (like the Company), the rules formalize the current equitable practice of recognizing a licensee’s good faith efforts to comply with Section 310(b) where the non-compliance was due solely to circumstances beyond the licensee’s control that were not known or reasonably foreseeable to the licensee.

We are permitted to own an unlimited number of radio stations on a nationwide basis (subject to the local ownership restrictions described below).

Under the rules, the number of radio stations one party may own in a local Nielsen Audio-rated radio market is determined by the number of full-power commercial and noncommercial radio stations in the market as determined by Nielsen Audio and BIA Advisory Services, LLC d/b/a BIA/Kelsey. Radio markets that are not Nielsen Audio rated are determined by analysis of the broadcast coverage contours of the radio stations involved.

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Under the Communications Act, and the FCC’s “Local Ownership Rule,” we are permitted to own radio stations (without regard to the audience shares of the stations) based upon the number of full-power commercial and noncommercial radio stations in the relevant radio market as follows:

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The Commission’s 2010/2014 Quadrennial Review Order on Reconsideration, 32 FCC Rcd 9802 (2017), modified the Commission’s media ownership rules by: (1) eliminating the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership and radio/television cross-ownership rules; (2) revising the local television ownership rule by eliminating the “eight voices” test and permitting applicants to seek the combination of two top-four ranked stations in a given market on a case-by-case basis; and (3) deeming joint sales agreements between television stations to be non-attributable. (In FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project, 141 S. Ct. 1150 (2021), the U. S. Supreme Court reversed a decision of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit which had vacated the Commission’s 2017 order.)

New rules that could be promulgated under the Communications Act may permit us to own, operate, control or have a cognizable interest in additional radio broadcast stations if the FCC determines that such ownership, operation, control or cognizable interest will result in an increase in the number of radio stations in operation. No firm date has been established for initiation of this rule-making proceeding. New rules could restrict the Company’s ability to acquire additional radio and television stations in some markets. The Court and FCC proceedings are ongoing and we cannot predict what action, if any, the Court or the FCC may take to further modify its rules. Due to changes in local radio markets, the ownership of some of our radio stations, in the future, could exceed the current ownership limits imposed by the Local Ownership Rule. Their current ownership structure is “grandfathered” by the FCC. Absent a waiver, it might not be possible to sell all of them as currently configured in “clusters” to a single purchaser. The statements herein are based solely on the FCC’s multiple ownership rules in effect as of the date hereof and do not include any forward-looking statements concerning compliance with any future multiple ownership rules.

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All commercial broadcasters were required to file a “biennial” ownership report by December 1, 2021, describing the ownership of their stations as of October 1, 2021. The FCC eliminated the prior requirement to file with the FCC paper copies of certain agreements, corporate organization documents, and the like. Instead, a broadcaster is required to upload copies of these documents to the station’s online public inspection file, or provide a list of such documents and make them available to a requesting party. The FCC generally applies its ownership limits to “attributable” interests held by an individual, corporation, partnership or other association. In the case of corporations holding broadcast licenses, the interests of officers, directors and those who, directly or indirectly, have the right to vote 5% or more of the corporation’s stock (or 20% or more of such stock in the case of certain passive investors that are holding stock for investment purposes only) are generally attributable, as are positions of an officer or director of a corporate parent of a broadcast licensee. Currently, none of our directors has an attributable interest or interests in companies applying for or licensed to operate broadcast stations other than us.

The FCC’s ownership attribution rules (a) apply to limited liability companies and registered limited liability partnerships the same attribution rules that the FCC applies to limited partnerships; and (b) include an equity/debt plus (“EDP”) rule that attributes the other media interests of an otherwise passive investor if the investor is (1) a “major-market program supplier” that supplies over 15% of a station’s total weekly broadcast programming hours, or (2) a same-market media entity subject to the FCC’s multiple ownership rules (including broadcasters, cable operators and newspapers) so that its interest in a licensee or other media entity in that market will be attributed if that interest, aggregating both debt and equity holdings, exceeds 33% of the total asset value (equity plus debt) of the licensee or media entity. We could be prohibited from acquiring a financial interest in stations in markets where application of the EDP rule would result in us having an attributable interest in the stations. In reconsidering its rules, the FCC also eliminated the “single majority shareholder exemption” which provides that minority voting shares in a corporation where one shareholder controls a majority of the voting stock are not attributable; however, the FCC “suspended” the elimination of this exemption until the FCC resolved issues concerning cable television ownership. The FCC announced in 2016 that it would address this issue, among others, in a subsequent decision, but the FCC has so far taken no action on the matters.

In addition to the FCC’s multiple ownership rules, the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission and some state governments have the authority to examine proposed transactions for compliance with antitrust statutes and guidelines. The Antitrust Division has issued “civil investigative demands” and obtained consent decrees requiring the divestiture of stations in a particular market based on antitrust concerns.

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Programming and Operation.   The Communications Act requires broadcasters to serve the “public interest.” Licensees are required to present programming that is responsive to community problems, needs and interests and to maintain certain records demonstrating such responsiveness. Complaints from listeners concerning a station’s programming often will be considered by the FCC when it evaluates renewal applications of a licensee, although such complaints may be filed at any time and generally may be considered by the FCC at any time. Stations also must follow various rules promulgated under the Communications Act that regulate, among other things, political advertising, sponsorship identification, the advertisement of contests and lotteries, obscene and indecent broadcasts, and technical operations, including limits on radio frequency radiation. In 2020, the FCC entered into a Consent Decree with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which agreed to pay a $48 million dollar fine to settle issues related to sponsorship identification violations, among other matters. The FCC also entered into a Consent Decree with Cumulus Radio to settle violations of the sponsorship identification requirements in connection with the broadcast of issue ads promoting a construction project in New Hampshire. There are other examples of FCC enforcement action for violation of the sponsorship identification requirements. A licensee that broadcasts or advertises information about a contest it conducts must fully and accurately disclose the material terms of the contest, and conduct the contest substantially as announced or advertised over the air or on the Internet. The disclosure of material terms must be made by either periodic disclosures broadcast on the station or written disclosures on the station's Internet web site. Violation of the rule can result in significant fines. In 2020, the FCC fined a broadcaster $5,200 for failing to conduct its contests as advertised by failing to award prizes in a timely manner. Another licensee entered into a Consent Decree with the FCC, paying a fine of $125,000 for, among other things, predetermining the outcome of a contest. The FCC requires the owners of antenna supporting structures (towers) to register them with the FCC. As an owner of such towers, our subsidiaries are subject to the registration requirements. On January 13, 2020, the FCC released an Order confirming a Consent Decree whereby the owner of several antenna structures agreed to pay the government a civil penalty of $1,130,000 and develop a Compliance Plan requiring reports for two years as a result of (1) failing to conduct required daily inspections of the lighting systems at 10 towers, (2) failing to completely log lighting failures at 7 towers, and (3) failing to timely notify the FCC of its acquisition of 2 towers. In 2017, the FCC eliminated the broadcast main studio rule. The FCC retained the requirement that stations maintain a local or toll-free telephone number to ensure consumers have ready access to their local stations. The FCC’s rules require cable operators, direct satellite TV providers, broadcast radio licensees, and satellite radio licensees to post public inspection files to the FCC's online database (the “online public inspection file” or “OPIF”) rather than maintaining them in a local public inspection file. The FCC believes posting these files to the OPIF renders the materials more widely accessible to the public. The Company’s radio stations post their public inspection files to the FCC’s website. The FCC has warned licensees of possible enforcement action if these files are found not to be in compliance at the time of license renewal. Because of inadvertent untimely posting of certain political records at stations owned by one of the Company’s subsidiaries, that subsidiary was obliged to enter into a Consent Decree with the FCC (FCC Order, DA 201263, released October 26, 2020). The Consent Decree required Company employees responsible for performing, supervising, overseeing, or managing activities related to the maintenance of online political files to thoroughly understand the Company’s obligation to comply with laws regulating political broadcasting and to promptly report to the FCC any noncompliance with those laws. The affected subsidiary filed a report with the FCC on December 8, 2021, regarding its record of compliance with the political laws and the Company’s obligations under the Consent Decree terminated as of February 7, 2022. The FCC in 2020 revised its rules governing the publication of local notice of the filing of certain broadcast applications. FCC licensees, like the Company, must maintain a tab on their station websites where the public can view the OPIF and a tab where notices describing pending applications must be posted, rather than printing such notices in local newspapers.

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The Company is required to pay (1) FCC filing fees in connection with its applications and (2) annual regulatory fees determined by the number and character of the radio stations the Company owns as of October 1 of each prior year.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Rules.   Equal employment opportunity (EEO) rules and policies for broadcasters prohibit discrimination by broadcasters and multichannel video programming distributors. They also require broadcasters to provide notice of job vacancies and to undertake additional outreach measures, such as job fairs and scholarship programs. The rules mandate a “three prong” outreach program; i.e., Prong 1: widely disseminate information concerning each full-time (30 hours or more) job vacancy, except for vacancies filled in exigent circumstances; Prong 2: provide notice of each full-time job vacancy to recruitment organizations that have requested such notice; and Prong 3: complete two (for broadcast employment units with five to ten full-time employees or that are located in smaller markets) or four (for employment units with more than ten full-time employees located in larger markets) longer-term recruitment initiatives within a two-year period. These include, for example, job fairs, scholarship and internship programs, and other community events designed to inform the public as to employment opportunities in broadcasting. The rules mandate extensive record keeping and reporting requirements. In 2017, the FCC issued a Declaratory Ruling permitting broadcast stations to use the internet for job postings as their sole means of recruiting employees (so long as the postings reach all segments of the station’s community. The EEO rules are enforced through review at renewal time, and through random audits and targeted investigations resulting from information received as to possible violations. The FCC has not yet decided on whether and how to apply the EEO rule to part-time positions. Failure to observe these or other rules and policies can result in the imposition of various sanctions, including monetary forfeitures, the grant of “short” (less than the full eight-year) renewal terms or, for particularly egregious violations, the denial of a license renewal application or the revocation of a license. As announced in an NPRM released June 21, 2019 (MB Docket No. 19-177), the FCC is reviewing the EEO rules. In the NPRM, the FCC seeks comment on its track record on EEO enforcement, whether the agency should make improvements to EEO compliance and enforcement, and invites comment on its audit program. In a Further NPRM (MB Docket No. 98-204), released July 23, 2021, the Commission sought to refresh the existing record regarding the statutorily mandated collection of data on the FCC Form 395-B, as contemplated by the Act. This employment report form is intended to gather workforce composition data from broadcasters on an annual basis but the form and data have not been collected for many years. The filing of the form was suspended in 2001 in the wake of a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) vacating certain aspects of the Commission's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements. While the Commission in 2004 adopted revised regulations regarding the filing of Form 395-B and updated the form, the requirement that broadcasters once again submit the form to the Commission was suspended until issues were resolved regarding confidentiality of the employment data. To date, those issues remain unresolved, and the filing of Form 395-B remains suspended. The Commission is seeking “to refresh the record” regarding the collection of broadcaster workforce composition data and obtain further input on the legal, logistical, and technical issues surrounding FCC Form 395-B. The Company cannot predict whether, or if changes may be made as a result of these NPRMs.

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Time Brokerage Agreements.   As is common in the industry, we have previously entered into what have commonly been referred to as Time Brokerage Agreements (“TBAs”) which are sometimes termed “Local Marketing Agreements.” Such arrangements are an extension of the concept of agreements under which a licensee of a station sells blocks of time on its station to an entity or entities which purchase the blocks of time and which sell their own commercial advertising announcements during the time periods in question. While these agreements may take varying forms, under a typical TBA, separately owned and licensed radio or television stations agree to enter into cooperative arrangements of varying sorts, subject to compliance with the requirements of antitrust laws and with the FCC’s rules and policies. Under these types of arrangements, separately-owned stations agree to function cooperatively in terms of programming, advertising sales, and other matters, subject to the licensee of each station maintaining independent control over the financing, programming and station operations of its own station. One typical type of TBA is a programming agreement between two separately-owned radio or television stations serving a common service area, whereby the licensee of one station purchases substantial portions of the broadcast day on the other licensee’s station, subject to ultimate editorial and other controls being exercised by the latter licensee, and sells advertising time during such program segments.

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The FCC’s rules provide that a station purchasing (brokering) time on another station serving the same market will be considered to have an attributable ownership interest in the brokered station for purposes of the FCC’s multiple ownership rules. As a result, under the rules, a broadcast station will not be permitted to enter into a time brokerage agreement giving it the right to purchase more than 15% of the broadcast time, on a weekly basis, of another local station that it could not own under the local ownership rules of the FCC’s multiple ownership rules. Effective October 22, 2020, the FCC eliminated Title 47 C.F.R. § 73.3556, a rule that prohibited the duplication of programming on co-owned radio stations in the same market. A petition for reconsideration of that action as to FM duplication is pending. The Company cannot predict how the FCC may act on that petition.

Other FCC Requirements.

Low Power FM Radio.   There exists a “low power radio service” on the FM band (“LPFM”) in which the FCC authorizes the construction and operation of noncommercial educational FM stations with up to 100 watts ERP with antenna height above average terrain (“HAAT”) at up to 30 meters (100 feet). This combination is calculated to produce a service area radius of approximately 3.5 miles. The FCC’s rules will not permit any broadcaster or other media entity subject to the FCC’s ownership rules to control or hold an attributable interest in an LPFM station or enter into related operating agreements with an LPFM licensee. Thus, absent a waiver, we could not own or program an LPFM station. LPFM stations are allocated throughout the FM broadcast band, (i.e., 88.1 to 107.9 MHz), although they must operate with a noncommercial format. The FCC has established allocation rules that require FM stations to be separated by specified distances to other stations on the same frequency, and stations on frequencies on the first, second and third channels adjacent to the center frequency. The FCC has granted construction permits and licenses for LPFM stations. As required by the Local Community Radio Act of 2010, the FCC in 2012 modified its rules to maintain its existing minimum distance separation requirements for full-service FM stations, FM translator stations, and FM booster stations that broadcast radio reading services via an analog subcarrier frequency to avoid potential interference by LPFM stations; and when licensing new FM translator stations, FM booster stations, and LPFM stations, to ensure that: (i) licenses are available to FM translator stations, FM booster stations, and LPFM stations; (ii) such decisions are made based on the needs of the local community; and (iii) FM translator stations, FM booster stations, and LPFM stations remain equal in status and secondary to existing and modified full-service FM stations. By Report and Order, released April 23, 2020, the FCC modified the LPFM technical rules in four main ways: (1) expanding the permissible use of directional antennas; (2) expanding the definition of minor change applications for LPFM stations; (3) allowing LPFM stations to own FM boosters; and (4) permitting LPFM and Class D FM stations operating on the FM reserved band (channels 201 to 220) reserved band (channels 201 to 220) to propose facilities short-spaced to television stations operating on channel 6 (TV6) with the consent of the potentially affected stations. The FCC also took other less significant actions affecting the LPFM service.

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On January 5, 2012, the FCC released a Report to Congress on the impact that LPFM stations would have on full-service commercial FM stations. The FCC “found no statistically reliable evidence that low-power FM stations have a substantial or consistent economic impact on full-service commercial FM stations,” and that “low-power FM stations generally do not have, and in the future are unlikely to have, a demonstrable economic impact on full-service commercial FM radio stations.” Some LPFM stations that broadcast commercial announcements in violation of the law could have a negative economic impact on the Company’s stations. Although rule-compliant LPFM stations compete for audience with the Company’s full-power and FM translator stations, the Company cannot predict whether there will be future negative economic impact on its stations.

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As part of the transition from analog to digital operations, the FCC sought comment in a 2014 NPRM on whether to allow LPTV stations (so-called “Franken FM” radio stations) on digital television channel 6 to continue to operate these analog FM radio-type services on an ancillary or supplementary basis. In June 2021, by Public Notice, the FCC reminded LPTV and TV translator stations that, by July 13, 2021, all LPTV stations must terminate all analog television operations. This could result in eliminating Franken FM stations. The owner of several channel 6 Franken FM stations in major markets, has proposed a system that allows an analog subcarrier to be used on the main digital channel. The FCC’s Video Division has granted special temporary authority to the owner of one of the Franken FM stations permitting the station to broadcast a Channel 6 analog signal until July 25, 2022. The Company cannot predict whether Franken FM stations will become licensed radio services.

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As a broadcaster, the Company is required to comply with the FCC rules implementing the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”). The Company’s stations must transmit Presidential messages during national emergencies and may transmit local messages, such as severe weather alerts and AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) alerts. On January 7, 2021, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued an “Enforcement Advisory” which highlighted EAS participants’ obligations, identified measures to improve the EAS, and warned that failure to comply with the EAS rules may subject a violator to sanctions including, but not limited to, substantial monetary forfeitures.

Use of FM Boosters for Geo-Targeting. By NPRM released December 1, 2020, the FCC sought comment on whether to modify the FCC’s rules governing the operation of FM booster stations by FM radio broadcasters in certain limited circumstances. Through its NPRM, the FCC sought comment regarding changes to the booster station rules that could enable FM broadcasters to use FM booster stations to air “geo-targeted” content (e.g., news, weather, and advertisements) independent of the signals of the booster’s primary station within different portions of the primary station's protected service contour for a limited period of time during the broadcast hour. The Company cannot predict whether the FCC will adopt the proposed rules, and if adopted, whether the Company would use FM booster stations in this manner. The Company currently has no FM booster stations.

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Digital Audio Radio Satellite Service and Internet Radio.   In adopting its rules for the Digital Audio Radio Satellite Service (“DARS”) in the 2310-2360 MHz frequency band, the FCC stated, “although healthy satellite DARS systems are likely to have some adverse impact on terrestrial radio audience size, revenues and profits, the record does not demonstrate that licensing satellite DARS would have such a strong adverse impact that it threatens the provision of local service.” The FCC granted two nationwide licenses, one to XM Satellite Radio, which began broadcasting in May 2001, and a second to Sirius Satellite Radio, which began broadcasting in February 2002. The satellite radio systems provide multiple channels of audio programming in exchange for the payment of a subscription fee. The FCC approved the application of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. to transfer control of the licenses and authorizations held by the two companies to one company, which is now known as Sirius XM Radio, Inc. Various companies have introduced devices that permit the reception of audio programming streamed over the Internet on home computers and on portable receivers such as cell phones, in automobiles, and through so-called “smart speakers” like Amazon’s Alexa service. A number of digital music providers have developed and are offering their product through the Internet. Terrestrial radio operators (including the Company) are also making their product available through the Internet. To date, the Company has not perceived negative economic impact from DARS or Internet-streamed audio on the Company’s full-service stations and FM translators, possibly due, in part, to the possibility of confusion in the digital advertising market, but the Company cannot predict whether there will be future negative economic impact.

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In-Band On-Channel “Hybrid Digital” Radio.   The FCC’s rules permit radio stations to broadcast using in-band, on-channel (IBOC) technology that allows AM and FM stations to operate using the IBOC system developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation. This technology has become commonly known as “hybrid digital” or HD radio. Stations broadcast the same main channel program material in both analog and digital modes. HD radio technology permits “hybrid” operations, the simultaneous transmission of analog and digital signals with a single AM and FM channel. HD radio technology can provide near CD-quality sound on FM channels and FM quality on AM channels. HD radio technology also permits the transmission of up to three additional program streams over the radio stations (which streams do not count as separate radio stations under the multiple ownership rules.) At the present time, we are configured to broadcast in HD radio on 53 stations. On October 28, 2020, the FCC released a Report and Order, in which it adopted rules (effective January 4, 2021) to allow AM radio stations to broadcast an all-digital signal using the HD Radio in-band on-channel (IBOC) mode termed “MA3.” In adopting the new rules, the FCC said that a voluntary conversion to all-digital broadcasting will benefit many AM stations and their listeners by improving reception quality and listenable coverage in stations' service areas. At this time, the Company has not made a decision on whether to convert any of its AM radio stations to all-digital operation.

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Use of FM Translators by AM Stations and Digital Program Streams.   FM translator stations are relatively low power radio stations (maximum ERP: 250 Watts) that rebroadcast the programs of full-power AM and FM stations on a secondary basis, meaning they must terminate or modify their operation if they cause interference to a full-power station. The FCC permits AM stations to be rebroadcast on FM translator stations in order to improve reception of programs broadcast by AM stations. The Company intends to continue to use some of its existing FM translators in connection with some of its AM stations. The Company is using some of its existing FM translators to rebroadcast HD radio program streams generated by some of its FM stations, which is permitted by the FCC. In a 2015 Report and Order, Revitalization of the AM Service, the FCC announced an opportunity, restricted to AM licensees and permittees, to apply for and receive authorizations to relocate existing FM translator stations within 250 miles for the sole and limited purpose of enhancing their existing service to the public. To implement this policy, the FCC opened “filing windows,” the last one closing October 31, 2016. Some of the Company’s subsidiaries that are AM licensees, acquired FM translators during the filing window, and relocated them to their local markets to pair with some of the Company’s AM broadcast stations. The FM translators so acquired must rebroadcast the related AM station for at least four years, not counting any periods of silence. The FCC later opened two windows for the filing of applications for construction permits for new FM translators, the final window closing January 31, 2018. In the filing windows, qualifying AM licensees could apply for one, and only one, new FM translator station, in the non-reserved FM band to be used solely to re-broadcast the licensee’s AM signal to provide fill-in and/or nighttime service on a permanent basis. The Company filed applications in both windows and obtained some construction permits as a result. If the Company should decide that a subsidiary should sell or suspend operations of an AM station with such an FM construction permit or license, the subsidiary would also be required to sell or suspend operations of the FM translator. The FCC has adopted rules regarding FM translator interference (1) allowing FM translators to resolve interference issues by changing channels to any available same-band frequency using a minor modification application; (2) standardizing the information that must be compiled and submitted by a station claiming interference from an FM translator, including a required minimum number of listener complaints; (3) establishing interference complaint resolution procedures; and (4) establishing an outer contour limit (45 dBm) for the affected station within which interference complaints will be considered actionable while providing for a process to waive that limit in special circumstances. Because FM translators are “secondary services,” they could be displaced by full power stations.

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Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.   The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, the federal agencies responsible for enforcing the federal antitrust laws, may investigate certain acquisitions. Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, an acquisition meeting certain size thresholds requires the parties to file Notification and Report Forms with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice and to observe specified waiting period requirements before consummating the acquisition. Any decision by the Federal Trade Commission or the Department of Justice to challenge a proposed acquisition could affect our ability to consummate the acquisition or to consummate it on the proposed terms. We cannot predict whether the FCC will adopt rules that would restrict our ability to acquire additional stations.

Changes to Application and Assignment Procedures.    FCC rules  give Native American tribes a priority to obtain broadcast radio licenses in tribal communities. The rules provide an opportunity for tribes to establish new service specifically designed to offer programming that meets the needs of tribal citizens. In addition, the rules modified the FCC’s radio application and assignment procedures, assisting qualified applicants to more rapidly introduce new radio service to the public. These modifications (1) prohibit an AM applicant that obtains a construction permit through a dispositive Section 307(b) preference from downgrading the service level that led to the dispositive preference; (2) require technical proposals for new or major change AM facilities filed with Form 175 (i.e., FCC “short-form” Auction) applications to meet certain minimum technical standards to be eligible for further auction processing; and (3) give FCC operating bureaus authority to cap filing window applications. In 2011, the FCC released its Third Report and Order which limits eligibility for authorizations associated with allotments added to the FM Table of Allotments using the “Tribal Priority” to the tribes whom the Tribal Priority was intended to benefit. In October 2018, the FCC released a “Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” as part of its ongoing effort to assist AM broadcast stations in providing full-time service to their communities. The FCC sought comment on technical proposals to reduce nighttime interference afforded to wide-area “Class A” AM radio stations to enable more local AM stations to increase their nighttime service. The Company has no Class A AM radio stations, but has Class B, Class C and Class D AM radio stations, some of which might benefit if the FCC changes its rules as proposed.

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The Company pays for the use of music broadcast on its stations by obtaining licenses from organizations called performing rights organizations (e.g. BMI, ASCAP, SESAC and GMR), which, in turn pay composers, authors and publishers for their works. Federal law grants a performance right for sound recordings in favor of recording companies and performing artists for non-interactive digital transmissions and Internet radio. As a result, users of music, including the Company, are required to pay royalties for these uses through Sound Exchange, a non-profit performance rights organization. Periodically, bills have been introduced in Congress, that if passed, would have required the Company to pay additional fees to an organization called MusicFirst which would distribute the money to other entities. Efforts continue by certain organizations to persuade Congress to enact a law that would require such payments. Periodically, bills have been introduced in Congress that, if adopted, would require the Company to pay additional fees to one or more organizations that would distribute the money to performers or other entities. In late 2018, Congress passed the “Music Modernization Act” which was signed into law by the President. The law (1) improves compensation to songwriters and streamlining how their music is licensed; (2) enables legacy artists (who recorded music before 1972) to be paid royalties when their music is played on digital radio; and (3) provides a consistent legal process for studio professionals, including record producers and engineers to receive royalties for their contributions to music that they help to create. The law creates a blanket license for digital music providers to make permanent downloads, limited downloads, and interactive streams, creates a collective to administer the blanket license, and makes various improvements to royalty rate proceedings. This new law could impose an additional financial burden on the Company, but the extent of the burden would depend on how the fee payment requirement was structured. The American Music Fairness Act was introduced on June 24, 2021, in the House of Representatives (117^th Congress) and would establish that the copyright holder of a sound recording would have the exclusive right to perform the sound recording through an audio transmission and addresses other related issues. (Currently, the public performance right only covers performances through a digital audio transmission in certain instances, which means that nonsubscription terrestrial radio stations generally do not have to secure a license to publicly perform a copyright-protected sound recording.). Under the bill, a nonsubscription broadcast transmission would be required to have a license to publicly perform such sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board would periodically determine the royalty rates for such a license. When determining the rates, the board would be required to base its decision on certain information presented by the parties, including the radio stations' effect on other streams of revenue related to the sound recordings. Terrestrial broadcast stations, and the owners of such stations) that fall below certain revenue thresholds would pay certain flat fees, instead of the board-established rate, for a license to publicly perform copyright-protected sound recordings.

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On January 3, 2013, the FCC released the Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking , which sought comment on the requirement that persons with attributable interests in broadcast licensees and other entities filing an FCC Ownership Report provide an “FCC Registration Number” (“FRN”) linked to their social security numbers. Questions had been raised about the security of the FCC’s Registration System where this data would be stored. On January 20, 2016, the FCC released its Report and Order, Second Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration that implemented a Restricted Use FRN (RUFRN) that individuals may use solely for the purpose of broadcast ownership report filings. The FCC stated its belief that the RUFRN would allow for sufficient unique identification of individuals listed on broadcast ownership reports without necessitating the disclosure to the FCC of individuals’ full Social Security Numbers (SSNs). The FCC eliminated the availability of the Special Use FRN (SUFRN) for broadcast station ownership reports, except in very limited circumstances. On January 4, 2017, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an Order on Reconsideration denying petitions for reconsideration of the requirement, but on February 2, 2017, the FCC set aside the Order on Reconsideration and returned the petitions for reconsideration to pending status to be considered by the full FCC. The FCC is also seeking comment on whether to expand the biennial ownership reporting requirement to include interests, entities and individuals that are not attributable because of (a) the single majority shareholder exemption and (b) the exemption for interests held in eligible entities pursuant to the higher EDP threshold. The Company has utilized the single majority shareholder exemption in reporting ownership interests in the Company. The Company cannot predict whether these proposals will be adopted, and if so, whether information provided by those persons with a reportable attributable interest in the Company will be secure.

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Proposed Changes.   The FCC has under consideration, and may in the future consider and adopt, new laws, regulations and policies regarding a wide variety of matters that could, directly or indirectly, affect us and the operation and ownership of our broadcast properties. Application processing rules adopted by the FCC might require us to apply for facilities modifications to our standard broadcast stations in future “window” periods for filing applications or result in the stations being “locked in” with their present facilities. The FCC is authorized to use auctions for the allocation of radio broadcast spectrum frequencies for commercial use. The implementation of this law could require us to bid for the use of certain frequencies.

Information About Our Executive Officers

Our current executive officers are:

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Officers are elected annually by our Board of Directors and serve at the discretion of the Board. Set forth below is information with respect to our executive officers.

Mr. Christian has been President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since our inception in 1986.

Mr. Bush has been Senior Vice President since 2002 and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since September 1997. He was Vice President from 1997 to 2002. From 1988 to 1997 he held various positions with the Media Finance Group at AT&T Capital Corporation, including senior vice president.

Ms. Lobaito was the Director of Business Affairs and Corporate Secretary since our inception in 1986, Vice President from 1996 to 2005 and Senior Vice President from 2005 to 2020. Effective March 13, 2020, Ms. Lobaito retired from Senior Vice President and Director of Business Affairs. At our request, Ms. Lobaito continues to serve as Corporate Secretary. On September 28, 2021, Ms. Lobaito was appointed to our Board of Directors.

Ms. Bobinski has been Senior Vice President/Finance since March 2012 and Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller since September 1991. She was Vice President from March 1999 to March 2012. Ms. Bobinski is a certified public accountant.

Mr. Forgy has been Senior Vice President of Operations since May 2018. He was President/General Manager of our Columbus, Ohio market from 2010 to 2018 and was Director of Sales of our Columbus, Ohio market from 1995 to 2006. He has been with Saga for 20 years.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

The more prominent risks and uncertainties inherent in our business are described in more details below. However, these are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Our business may also face additional risks and uncertainties that are unknown to us at this time.

Risks Related to the Economy

Global Economic Conditions and Uncertainties May Continue to Affect our Business

We derive revenues from the sale of advertising and expenditures by advertisers tend to be cyclical and are reflective of economic conditions. Periods of a slowing economy, recession or economic uncertainty may be accompanied by a decrease in advertising. The global economic recession that began in 2008 caused a decline in advertising and marketing by our customers, which had an adverse effect on our revenue, profit margins and cash flows. Global economic conditions were slow to recover and remain uncertain. There can be no assurance that any of the economic improvements since the recession will be broad based and sustainable, especially in light of the further negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or that they will enhance conditions in markets relevant to us. If economic conditions do not continue to improve, economic uncertainty increases or economic conditions deteriorate again, global economic conditions may once again adversely impact our business. Due to the continued uncertain pace of economic growth, we cannot predict future revenue trends. Further, there can be no assurance that we will not experience future adverse effects that may be material to our cash flows, competitive position, financial condition, results of operations, or our ability to access capital.

The volatility in global financial markets may also limit our ability to access the capital markets at a time when we would like, or need, to do so, which could have an impact on our flexibility to react to changing economic and business conditions. Accordingly, if the economy does not fully recover or worsens, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Our Business and Operations Could be Adversley Affected by Health Epidemics, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, Impacting the Markets and Communities in which we and our Partners, Advertisers, and Users Operate

We face various risks related to health epidemics, pandemics and similar outbreaks, such as the global outbreak of COVID-19. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to address the public health concerns resulting from the pandemic have resulted in disruptions to our business activity, volatility in the equity markets and credit markets, and uncertainty in the U.S. and global economic outlook. Such measures include travel restrictions and national border closings, restrictions on the conduct of non-essential business, closures of workplaces and schools, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and social distancing orders. The measures have impacted and may further impact our business.

Recently implemented restrictions on business activity and uncertainty in the U.S. and global economic outlook has caused advertisers to adjust their purchasing plans and a deterioration in economic conditions globally and in the markets in which we operate may cause advertisers to reduce further purchases of advertising. Furthermore, this level of uncertainty may adversely affect our ability to develop information in order to prepare accurate financial forecasts.

In addition, restrictive measures imposed by federal, state and local authorities in the United States as well as health-related concerns related to working conditions, have had, and may continue to have an impact on our business operations. While we are not currently anticipating any material impact to our internal ability to operate our business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may temporarily lose the services of employees or experience interruptions in the normal conduct of businesses or operations of our systems, which could lead to inefficiencies, and disruptions of our regular operations.

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Although we have undertaken a number or steps to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, including a series of initiatives to control or reduce costs, such cost control measures are unlikely to completely offset declines in revenues. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our business and financial position will depend on future developments, which are difficult to predict, including the severity and scope of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as types of measures imposed by governmental authorities to contain the virus or address its impact and the duration of those actions and measures.

We Depend on Key Stations

Historically our top five markets when combined represented 39%, 40%, and 39% of our net operating revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Accordingly, we may have greater exposure to adverse events or conditions that affect the economy in any of these markets, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, results of operations and financial condition.

Local, National and Global Economic Conditions May Affect our Advertising Revenue

Our financial results are dependent primarily on our ability to generate advertising revenue through rates charged to advertisers. The advertising rates a station is able to charge are affected by many factors, including the general strength of the local and national economies. Generally, advertising declines during periods of economic recession or downturns in the economy. Our revenue has been and is likely to be adversely affected during such periods, whether they occur on a global leve, national level or in the geographic markets in which we operate. During such periods we may also be required to reduce our advertising rates in order to attract available advertisers. Such a decline in advertising rates could also have a material adverse effect on our revenue, results of operations and financial condition.

The ongoing supply chain and labor shortage issues could result in an adverse impact on our business due to our customer’s reduction in advertising spending as their businesses are negatively impacted by low inventories, product delays, and labor shortages resulting in reduced revenue.

The Russian invastion of Ukraine has created not only great devastation but also a worldwide instability that could impact economies across the globe. While direct impacts to our business are limited, the indirect impacts to our customers could impact demand for advertising and other indirect impacts could arise. In addition, the impact of other current macro-economic factors on our business, including inflation, supply chain constraints and geopolitical events, is uncertain.

Risks Related to Our Financing

We Have Substantial Indebtedness and Debt Service Requirements

While we currently have no debt outstanding at December 31, 2021 we have previously borrowed and may borrow to finance acquisitions and for other corporate purposes. If we borrow in the future, our leverage could make us vulnerable to an increase in interest rates, a downturn in our operating performance, or a decline in general economic conditions. Our credit facility is subject to mandatory prepayment requirements, including but not limited to, certain sales of assets, certain insurance proceeds, certain debt issuances and certain sales of equity. Any outstanding balance under the credit facility will be due on the maturity date of June 27, 2023. We believe that cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet any debt service requirements for interest and scheduled payments of principal under the credit facility in the future. However, if such cash flow is not sufficient, we may be required to sell additional equity securities, refinance our obligations or dispose of one or more of our properties in order to make such scheduled payments. We cannot be sure that we would be able to affect any such transactions on favorable terms, if at all.

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The expected London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) phase-out may have unpredictable impacts on contractual mechanics in the credit markets or the broader financial markets, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

LIBOR will no longer be used to price new loans after December 31, 2021 although existing loans may continue to use LIBOR in determining loan interest rates until June 2023, which coincides with the maturity date of our current credit facility. In the United States, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board-led industry group, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, selected the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") as an alternative to LIBOR for U.S. dollar-denominated LIBOR-benchmarked obligations. SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash in the overnight U.S treasury repo market, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has published the daily rate since 2018 and will likely be used in any future credit facilities entered into.

Our Debt Covenants Restrict our Financial and Operational Flexibility

Our credit facility contains a number of financial covenants which, among other things, require us to maintain specified financial ratios and impose certain limitations on us with respect to investments, additional indebtedness, dividends, distributions, guarantees, liens and encumbrances. Our ability to meet these financial ratios can be affected by operating performance or other events beyond our control, and we cannot assure you that we will meet those ratios. Certain events of default under our credit facility could allow the lenders to declare all amounts outstanding to be immediately due and payable and, therefore, could have a material adverse effect on our business. We have pledged substantially all of our assets (excluding our FCC licenses and certain other assets) in support of the credit facility and each of our subsidiaries has guaranteed the credit facility and has pledged substantially all of their assets (excluding their FCC licenses and certain other assets) in support of the credit facility.

Risks Related to the Radio Broadcasting Industry

Our Stations Must Compete for Advertising Revenues in Their Respective Markets

Radio broadcasting is a highly competitive business. Our stations compete for listeners and advertising revenues within their respective markets directly with other radio stations, as well as with other media, such as broadcast radio (as applicable), cable television and/or radio, satellite television and/or satellite radio systems, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, the Internet, coupons and billboard advertising. Audience ratings and market shares are subject to change, and any change in a particular market could have a material adverse effect on the revenue of our stations located in that market. While we already compete in some of our markets with other stations with similar programming formats, if another radio station in a market were to convert its programming format to a format similar to one of our stations, if a new station were to adopt a comparable format or if an existing competitor were to strengthen its operations, our stations could experience a reduction in ratings and/or advertising revenue and could incur increased promotional and other expenses. Other radio broadcasting companies may enter into the markets in which we operate or may operate in the future. These companies may be larger and have more financial resources than we have. We cannot assure you that any of our stations will be able to maintain or increase their current audience ratings and advertising revenues.

We Depend on Key Personnel

Our business is partially dependent upon the performance of certain key individuals, particularly Edward K. Christian, our President and CEO. Although we have entered into employment and non-competition agreements with Mr. Christian, which terminate on March 31, 2027, and certain other key personnel, including on-air personalities, we cannot be sure that such key personnel will remain with us. We can give no assurance that all or any of these employees will remain with us or will retain their audiences. Many of our key employees are at-will employees who are under no legal obligation to remain with us. Our competitors may choose to extend offers to any of these individuals on terms which we may be unwilling to meet. In addition, any or all of our key employees may decide to leave for a variety of personal or other reasons beyond our control. Furthermore, the popularity and audience loyalty of our key on-air personalities is highly sensitive to rapidly changing public tastes. A loss of such popularity or audience loyalty is beyond our control and could limit our ability to generate revenues.

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Our Success Depends on our Ability to Identify and Integrate Acquired Stations

As part of our strategy, we have pursued and may continue to pursue acquisitions of additional radio stations, subject to the terms of our credit facility. Broadcasting is a rapidly consolidating industry, with many companies seeking to consummate acquisitions and increase their market share. In this environment, we compete and will continue to compete with many other buyers for the acquisition of radio stations. Some of those competitors may be able to outbid us for acquisitions because they have greater financial resources or for other reasons. As a result of these and other factors, our ability to identify and consummate future acquisitions is uncertain.

Our consummation of all future acquisitions is subject to various conditions, including FCC and other regulatory approvals. The FCC must approve any transfer of control or assignment of broadcast licenses. Such acquisitions could be delayed by shutdowns of the U.S. Government. In addition, acquisitions may encounter intense scrutiny under federal and state antitrust laws. Our future acquisitions may be subject to notification under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and to a waiting period and possible review by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. Any delays, injunctions, conditions or modifications by any of these federal agencies could have a negative effect on us and result in the abandonment of all or part of otherwise attractive acquisition opportunities. We cannot predict whether we will be successful in identifying future acquisition opportunities or what the consequences will be of any acquisitions.

Certain of our acquisitions may prove unprofitable and fail to generate anticipated cash flows. In addition, the success of any completed acquisition will depend on our ability to effectively integrate the acquired stations. The process of integrating acquired stations may involve numerous risks, including difficulties in the assimilation of operations, the diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns, risk of entering new markets, and the potential loss of key employees of the acquired stations.

Risks Related to Regulation of Our Business

Future Impairment of our FCC Broadcasting Licenses Could Affect our Operating Results

As of December 31, 2021, our FCC broadcasting licenses represented 36% of our total assets. We are required to test our FCC broadcasting licenses for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that our FCC broadcasting licenses might be impaired which may result in future impairment losses. For further discussion, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates included with this Form 10-K. On January 24, 2020, the President signed into law the “PIRATE” Act which authorizes the FCC to fine illegal broadcasters up to $2 million. However, according to a January 4, 2021, Report from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, the FCC has received no funding to implement the PIRATE Act. The Congressional Budget Office and the FCC both estimated that it would cost $11 million for the Commission to implement the Act, but the PIRATE Act itself contained no appropriation or other funding source to cover its implementation costs.

Our Business is Subject to Extensive Federal Regulation

The broadcasting industry is subject to extensive federal regulation which, among other things, requires approval by the FCC of transfers, assignments and renewals of broadcasting licenses, limits the number of broadcasting properties that may be acquired within a specific market, and regulates programming and operations. For a detailed description of the material regulations applicable to our business, see “Federal Regulation of Radio Broadcasting” and “Other FCC Requirements” in Item 1 of this Form 10-K. Failure to comply with these regulations could, under certain circumstances and among other things, result in the denial of renewal or revocation of FCC licenses, shortened license renewal terms, monetary forfeitures or other penalties which would adversely affect our profitability. Changes in ownership requirements could limit our ability to own or acquire stations in certain markets.

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New Federal Regulations or Fees Could Affect our Broadcasting Operations

There has been proposed legislation in the past and there could be again in the future that requires radio broadcasters to pay additional fees such as a spectrum fee for the use of the spectrum or a royalty fee to record labels and performing artists for use of their recorded music. Currently, we pay royalties to song composers, publishers, and performers indirectly through third parties. Any proposed legislation that is adopted into law could add an additional layer of royalties to be paid directly to the record labels and artists. While this proposed legislation did not become law, it has been the subject of considerable debate and activity by the broadcast industry and other parties affected by the legislation. It is currently unknown what impact any potential required royalty payments would have on our results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

The FCC’s Vigorous Enforcement of Indecency Rules Could Affect our Broadcasting Operations

Federal law regulates the broadcast of obscene, indecent or profane material. The FCC has increased its enforcement efforts relating to the regulation of indecency violations, and Congress has increased the penalties for broadcasting obscene, indecent or profane programming, and these penalties may potentially subject broadcasters to license revocation, renewal or qualification proceedings in the event that they broadcast such material. The FCC has expanded the scope of items considered indecent to include material that coud be considered “blasphemy,” “personally reviling epithets,” “profanity” and vulgar or coarse words, amounting to a nuisance. The maximum forfeiture penalty (after 2021 annual inflation adjustment) for an indecency violation is $445,445 per incident and $4,111,796 for a continuing violation arising from a single act or failure to act. In March 2015, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for the then maximum forfeiture amount of $325,000 against a television station for violation of the indecency laws. In addition, the FCC’s heightened focus on the indecency regulations against the broadcast industry may encourage third parties to oppose our license renewal applications or applications for consent to acquire broadcast stations. Because the FCC may investigate indecency complaints prior to notifying a licensee of the existence of a complaint, a licensee may not have knowledge of a complaint unless and until the complaint results in the issuance of a formal FCC letter of inquiry or notice of apparent liability for forfeiture. We may in the future become subject to inquiries or proceedings related to our stations’ broadcast of obscene, indecent or profane material. To the extent that any inquiries or other proceedings result in the imposition of fines, a settlement with the FCC, revocation of any of our station licenses or denials of license renewal applications, our result of operations and business could be materially adversely affected.

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Risks Related to Technology and Cybersecurity

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New Technologies May Affect our Broadcasting Operations

The FCC has and is considering ways to introduce new technologies to the broadcasting industry, including satellite and terrestrial delivery of digital audio broadcasting and the standardization of available technologies which significantly enhance the sound quality of AM broadcasters. We are unable to predict the effect such technologies may have on our broadcasting operations. The capital expenditures necessary to implement such technologies could be substantial.

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Information Technology and Cybersecurity Failures or Data Security Breaches Could Harm Our Business

Any internal technology error or failure impacting systems hosted internally or externally, or any large-scale external interruption in technology infrastructure we depend on, such as power, telecommunications or the Internet, may disrupt our technology network. Any individual, sustained or repeated failure of technology could impact our customer service and result in increased costs or reduced revenues. Our technology systems and related data also may be vulnerable to a variety of sources of interruption due to events beyond our control, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, hackers and other security issues. While we have in place, and continue to invest in, technology security initiatives and disaster recovery plans, these measures may not be adequate or implemented properly to prevent a business disruption and its adverse financial impact and consequences to our business' reputation.

In addition, as a part of our ordinary business operations, we may collect and store sensitive data, including personal information of our clients, listeners and employees. The secure operation of the networks and systems on which this type of information is stored, processed and maintained is critical to our business operations and strategy. Any compromise of our technology systems resulting from attacks by hackers or breaches due to employee error or malfeasance could result in the loss, disclosure, misappropriation of or access to clients’, listeners’, employees’ or business partners’ information. Any such loss, disclosure, misappropriation or access could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, disrupt operations and damage our reputation, any or all of which could adversely affect our business.

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To meet business objectives, the Company relies on both internal information technology (IT) systems and networks, and those of third parties and their vendors, to process and store sensitive data, including confidential research, business plans, financial information, intellectual property, and personal data that may be subject to legal protection. The extensive information security and cybersecurity threats, which affect companies globally, pose a risk to the security and availability of these IT systems and networks, and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Company’s sensitive data. The Company continually assesses these threats and makes investments to increase internal protection, detection, and response capabilities, as well as ensure the Company’s third-party providers have required capabilities and controls, to address this risk.

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In September 2021, one of our third-party service providers of a critical application used in our business, was the victim of a ransomware cyberattack. However, the Company’s data was not breached in connection with this incident and the incident did not have a material impact on the Company’s business or operations.

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To date, the Company has not experienced any material impact to the business or operations resulting from information or cybersecurity attacks; however, because of the frequently changing attack techniques, along with the increased volume and sophistication of the attacks, there remains the potential for the Company to be adversely impacted. This impact could result in reputational, competitive, operational or other business harm as well as financial costs and regulatory action. The Company currently maintains cybersecurity insurance in the event of an information security or cyber incident, however, the coverage may not be sufficient to cover all financial losses nor may it be available in the future.

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Risks Related to the Ownership of Our Stock

The Company is Controlled by our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman

As of March 4, 2022, Edward K. Christian, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, holds approximately 66% of the combined voting power of our Common Stock (not including options to acquire Class B Common Stock and based on Class B Common Stock generally being entitled to ten votes per share). As a result, Mr. Christian generally is able to control the vote on most matters submitted to the vote of stockholders and, therefore, is able to direct our management and policies, except with respect to (i) the election of the two Class A directors, (ii) those matters where the shares of our Class B Common Stock are only entitled to one vote per share, and (iii) other matters requiring a class vote under the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, bylaws or applicable law. For a description of the voting rights of our Common Stock, see Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included with this Form 10-K. Without the approval of Mr. Christian, we will be unable to consummate transactions involving an actual or potential change of control, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices.

We May Experience Volatility in the Market Price of our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock has fluctuated in the past and may continue to be volatile. In addition to stock market fluctuations due to economic or other factors, the volatility of our shares may be influenced by lower trading volume and concentrated ownership relative to many of our publicly-held competitors. Because several of our shareholders own significant portions of our outstanding shares, our stock is relatively less liquid and therefore more susceptible to price fluctuations than many other companies’ shares. If these shareholders were to sell all or a portion of their holdings of our common stock, then the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected. Investors should be aware that they could experience short-term volatility in our stock if such shareholders decide to sell all or a portion of their holdings of our common stock at once or within a short period of time.

Item 1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2.  Properties

Our corporate headquarters is located in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. The types of properties required to support each of our stations include offices, studios, and transmitter and antenna sites. A station’s studios are generally housed with its offices in business districts. The transmitter sites and antenna sites are generally located so as to provide maximum market coverage for our stations’ broadcast signals.

As of December 31, 2021, the studios and offices of 25 of our 28 operating locations, including our corporate headquarters in Michigan, are located in facilities we own. The remaining studios and offices are located in leased facilities with lease terms that expire in 0.7 years to 2.9 years. We own or lease our transmitter and antenna sites, with lease terms that expire in 1 year to 69 years. We do not anticipate any difficulties in renewing those leases that expire within the next five years or in leasing other space, if required.

No one property is material to our overall operations. We believe that our properties are in good condition and suitable for our operations.

We own substantially all of the equipment used in our broadcasting business.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

The Company is subject to various outstanding claims which arise in the ordinary course of business, and to other legal proceedings. Management anticipates that any potential liability of the Company, which may arise out of or with respect to these matters, will not materially affect the Company’s financial statements.

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Item 4.    Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5.    Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Our Class A Common Stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC under the ticker symbol SGA. There is no public trading market for our Class B Common Stock.

The closing price for our Class A Common Stock on March 4, 2022 as reported by the NASDAQ was $22.45. As of March 4, 2022, there were approximately 166 holders of record of our Class A Common Stock, and one holder of our Class B Common Stock.

Dividends

During 2021, our Board of Directors declared three quarterly cash dividends and a special dividend totaling $0.98 per share on its Classes A and B shares. These dividends totaling approximately $5.9 million were accrued or paid during 2021. See Note 1 of the financial statements for specific details on the dividends.

During 2020, our Board of Directors declared one quarterly cash dividends totaling $0.32 per share on its Classes A and B shares. These dividends totaling approximately $1.9 million were paid during 2020. In the second quarter of 2020, our Board of Directors announced that it was temporarily suspending the quarterly cash dividend in response to the continued uncertainty of the ongoing impact of COVID-19. See Note 1 of the financial statements for specific details on the dividends.

During 2019, our Board of Directors declared four quarterly cash dividends totaling $1.20 per share on its Classes A and B shares. These dividends totaling approximately $7.1 million were accrued or paid during 2019. See Note 1 of the financial statements for specific details on the dividends.

The Company currently intends to pay regular quarterly cash dividends in the future as declared by the Board of Directors. Consisten with returning value to our shareholders, the Board of Directors may also consider declaring special cash dividends, stock dividends, and stock buybacks in the future.

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Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table sets forth as of December 31, 2021, the number of securities outstanding under our equity compensation plans, the weighted average exercise price of such securities and the number of securities available for grant under these plans:

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Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Not applicable.

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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table summarizes our repurchases of our Class A Common Stock during the three months ended December 31, 2021. Shares repurchased during the quarter were from the retention of shares for the payment of withholding taxes related to the vesting of restricted stock.

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Performance Graph

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are no longer required to provide a performance graph.

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Item 6. [Reserved]

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Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Item 1. Business and the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of Saga Communications, Inc. and its subsidiaries contained elsewhere herein. The following discussion is presented on a consolidated basis. We serve twenty-seven radio markets (reporting units) that aggregate into one operating segment (Radio), which also qualifies as a reportable segment. We operate under one reportable busines segment for which segment disclosure is consistent with the management decision-making process that determines the allocation of resources and the measuring of performance. Corporate general and administrative expenses, interest expense, write-off debt issuance costs, other (income) expense, and income tax provision are managed on a consolidated basis.

The discussion of our operating performance focuses on station operating income because we manage our stations primarily on station operating income. Operating performance is evaluated for each individual market.

We use certain financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP) to assess our financial performance. For example, we evaluate the performance of our markets based on “station operating income” (operating income plus corporate general and administrative expenses, depreciation and amortization, other operating (income) expenses, and impairment of intangible assets). Station operating income is generally recognized by the broadcasting industry as a measure of performance, is used by analysts who report on the performance of the broadcasting industry and it serves as an indicator of the market value of a group of stations. In addition, we use it to evaluate individual stations, market-level performance, overall operations and as a primary measure for incentive based compensation of executives and other members of management. Station operating income is not necessarily indicative of amounts that may be available to us for debt service requirements, other commitments, reinvestment or other discretionary uses. Station operating income is not a measure of liquidity or of performance in accordance with GAAP, and should be viewed as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, our results of operations presented on a GAAP basis.

COVID-19 Impact and Response

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread health crisis that has adversely affected business, economies and financial markets worldwide. During 2021, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related actions by governments to attempt to contain the spread of the virus have continued to impact our business. Despite the development of vaccines and more effective treatments for the physical impacts of COVID-19, there are no reliable estimates of how long the COVID-19 pandemic, and its negative effect on our business, will last. Therefore, the unpredictability of the current economic and public health conditions continues. However, all of our markets are functioning at effectively full capacity, subject to ongoing health and safety protocols, which vary from state-to-state and we have continued to increase the number of our non-spot events again. As we exit 2021, we remain optimistic about future advertising revenue.

General

We are a broadcast company primarily engaged in acquiring, developing and operating broadcast properties. We actively seek and explore opportunities for expansion through the acquisition of additional broadcast properties. We review acquisition opportunities on an ongoing basis.

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Radio Stations

Our radio stations’ primary source of revenue is from the sale of advertising for broadcast on our stations. Depending on the format of a particular radio station, there are a predetermined number of advertisements available to be broadcast each hour.

Most advertising contracts are short-term and generally run for a few weeks only. The majority of our revenue is generated from local advertising, which is sold primarily by each radio markets’ sales staff. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, approximately 89%, 84% and 88%, respectively, of our radio stations’ gross revenue was from local advertising. To generate national advertising sales, we engage independent advertising sales representative firms that specialize in national sales for each of our broadcast markets.

Our revenue varies throughout the year. Advertising expenditures, our primary source of revenue, generally have been lowest during the winter months, which include the first quarter of each year. Political revenue was significantly lower in 2021 and 2019 due to the decreased number of national, state, and local elections in most of our markets as compared to 2020. Our gross political revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $1,780,000, $6,890,000 and $885,000, respectively. We expect political revenue in 2022 to increase over 2021 levels as a result of more elections in 2022 at the local, state and national levels.

Our net operating revenue, station operating expense and operating income vary from market to market based upon the market’s rank or size which is based upon population and the available radio advertising revenue in that particular market.

The broadcasting industry and advertising in general is influenced by the state of the overall economy, including unemployment rates, inflation, energy prices and consumer interest rates. Our stations broadcast primarily in small to midsize markets. Historically, these markets have been more stable than major metropolitan markets during downturns in advertising spending, but may not experience increases in such spending as significant as those in major metropolitan markets in periods of economic improvement.

Our financial results are dependent on a number of factors, the most significant of which is our ability to generate advertising revenue through rates charged to advertisers. The rates a station is able to charge are, in large part, based on a station’s ability to attract audiences in the demographic groups targeted by its advertisers. In a number of our markets, this is measured by periodic reports generated by independent national rating services. In the remainder of our markets it is measured by the results advertisers obtain through the actual running of an advertising schedule. Advertisers measure these results based on increased demand for their goods or services and/or actual revenues generated from such demand. Various factors affect the rate a station can charge, including the general strength of the local and national economies, population growth, ability to provide popular programming, local market competition, target marketing capability of radio compared to other advertising media, and signal strength.

When we acquire and/or begin to operate a station or group of stations we generally increase programming and advertising and promotion expenses to increase our share of our target demographic audience. Our strategy sometimes requires levels of spending commensurate with the revenue levels we plan on achieving in two to five years. During periods of economic downturns, or when the level of advertising spending is flat or down across the industry, this strategy may result in the appearance that our cost of operations are increasing at a faster rate than our growth in revenues, until such time as we achieve our targeted levels of revenue for the acquired station or group of stations.

The number of advertisements that can be broadcast without jeopardizing listening levels (and the resulting ratings) is limited in part by the format of a particular radio station. Our stations strive to maximize revenue by constantly managing the number of commercials available for sale and by adjusting prices based upon local market conditions and ratings. While there may be shifts from time to time in the number of advertisements broadcast during a particular time of the day, the total number of advertisements broadcast on a particular station generally does not vary significantly from year to year. Any change in our revenue, with the exception of those instances where stations are acquired or sold, is generally the result of inventory sell out ratios and pricing adjustments, which are made to ensure that the station efficiently utilizes available inventory.

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Our radio stations employ a variety of programming formats. We periodically perform market research, including music evaluations, focus groups and strategic vulnerability studies. Because reaching a large and demographically attractive audience is crucial to a station’s financial success, we endeavor to develop strong listener loyalty. Our stations also employ audience promotions to further develop and secure a loyal following. We believe that the diversification of formats on our radio stations helps to insulate us from the effects of changes in musical tastes of the public on any particular format.

The primary operating expenses involved in owning and operating radio stations are employee salaries, sales commissions, programming expenses, depreciation, and advertising and promotion expenses.

The radio broadcasting industry is subject to rapid technological change, evolving industry standards and the emergence of new media technologies and services. These new technologies and media are gaining advertising share against radio and other traditional media.

We are continuing to expand our digital initiative to provide a seamless experience across multiple platforms. Our goal is to allow our listeners to connect with our brands on demand wherever, however, and whenever they choose. We continue to create opportunities through targeted digital advertising and an array of digital services that include online promotions, mobile messaging, and email marketing.

During the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, our Columbus, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Norfolk, Virginia and Portland, Maine markets, when combined, represented approximately 39%, 40%, and 39%, respectively, of our consolidated net operating revenue. An adverse change in any of these radio markets or relative market position in those markets could have a significant impact on our operating results as a whole.

The following tables describe the percentage of our consolidated net operating revenue represented by each of these markets:

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During the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the radio stations in our five largest markets when combined, represented approximately 43%, 52% and 44%, respectively, of our consolidated station operating income. We note that the percent of consolidated station operating income at December 31, 2020 is higher than normal due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our markets. As the pandemic is resolved, we would anticipate results by market to continue to be back to normalized amounts in future years. The following tables describe the percentage of our consolidated station operating income represented by each of these markets:

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Results of Operations

The following tables summarize our results of operations for the three years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Consolidated Results of Operations

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